There is today a wide consensus regarding the need to improve communication skills (CS) of health-care professionals (HCPs) dealing with cancer patients. Psychological training programs (PTPs) may be useful to acquire the needed CS. Testing the efficacy of PTP will allow to define their optimal content. The present study was designed to assess the impact of… (More)

BACKGROUND
This study aims to assess the efficacy of a 40-h training programme designed to teach residents the communication skills needed to break the bad news.
METHODS
Residents were randomly assigned to the training programme or to a waiting list. A simulated patient breaking bad news (BBN) consultation was audiotaped at baseline and after training in… (More)

BACKGROUND
Although patients with cancer are often accompanied by a relative during breaking bad news (BBN) consultations, little is known regarding the efficacy of training programmes designed to teach residents the communication skills needed to break bad news in a triadic consultation.
METHODS
Residents were randomly assigned to a 40-h dyadic and… (More)